Denver Nuggets fans know Nikola Jokic probably has the highest basketball IQ in the league. He elevates the players around him and makes everyone better. And when those players leave, they take some of that knowledge with them. And from what Peyton Watson had to say, that's exactly what happened to him.
Watson, who was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers just a couple of weeks ago, finally had his introductory press conference with his new team. He made sure to remind everyone about just how much playing alongside Jokic can help when he was asked about playing with the three-time MVP for the first four years of his career.
"A lot. A lot. I think my IQ for the game has gotten a lot better just playing with him. Knowing the right places to be at the right times and knowing how to play with a superstar is something that's invaluable in this league with so much talent," Watson said.
That's great for Watson, but bad news for anyone who takes on the Cavs this season. The Cavs have James Harden for Watson to play alongside. Even at 37, Harden is still playing at a superstar level, even if he's not putting up the MVP numbers he was producing seven or eight years ago. And they've got Donovan Michell, and Evan Mobley, too. The Cavs will be really good this season.
Playing next to Jokic was sure to rub off
Watson has obviously been paying attention to what Jokic does on the court. Jokic elevates everyone around him and gets the best out of every player on the roster. Coming into last season, many were writing off Tim Hardaway Jr., who had regressed in his one season in Detroit after being a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate over his previous five years with the Dallas Mavericks.
Hardaway had a resurgence in Denver, and he finished with a career-high 224 three-pointers made and shot a career-best 40.7% from beyond the arc. He finished third in the 6MOY award voting because of his great comeback season. In large part, thanks to playing with Jokic. He parlayed his great season into a raise when he signed his free-agent contract with the Miami Heat this summer.
Watson also showed that playing next to Jokic rubs off. Watson has been steadily playing better, year after year, putting to use the IQ he gained. He showed it the most when Jokic was out of the starting lineup for 16 games in January of last season. That's when Watson took over and showed what he can do when he's needed to step up, by averaging 21.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.5 blocks in 15 starts for the month, which he parlayed into the four-year, $88 million deal he secured with the Cavs.
Playing next to Jokic rubs off, and eventually that can lead to a better payday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google